The present invention relates to devices for storing in an organized fashion a large number of relatively small items of different types and which make it possible to easily store and retrieve items.
In a wide variety of applications it is highly desirable to store small items in an organized manner so as to facilitate the retrieval of individual items when needed. For example, a carpenter makes use of screws and nails of various types. Often, during the course of a single job, use may arise for several types of screws or nails. Storing all the screws and nails in a single container may save space but wasters considerable on-the-job time when the worker has to rummage through the container in search of just the right nail. Furthermore, since it is virtually impossible to see the entire contents of the container, it may often happen that the inventory of a particular type of screw is exhausted without the worker realizing it, which could again lead to a waste of time while the inventory is replenished or which could lead to the use of an inappropriate screw.
Various storage organizers have been devised to offer a solution to this problem, which faces not only carpenters but also fishermen who use a variety of lures, dentists who use a variety of drills and other small instruments, office clerks who are responsible for stocking writing implements and other office supplies, and many others.
One solution involves the use of a storage organizer. The storage organizer typically includes a frame, or housing, into which are inserted a number of drawers. Each drawer is formed into a number of compartments, each of which can store one or more samples of a particularly item. Typically, the front surface of each compartment is transparent so that the user can see the items without having to open the drawer. Alternatively or additionally, the front surface of each compartment may be marked in any suitable way to provide an indication of its contents. A storage organizer typically includes a handle connected to its top surface which makes it possible to carry the organizer from place to place.
Conventional storage organizers suffer from a number of disadvantages. First, when the organizer is carried from place to place is it common for one or more of the drawers to inadvertently slide open, which may lead to the spilling and loss of items from the drawers.
Second, when a user opens a drawer care must be exercised to pull the drawer only part way so as to avoid retracting the drawer completely from the housing, which could lead to spillage of the contents.
Third, there is a tendency for the drawers to loosely fit into their intended space in the housing. This could lead to the loss of small items throught the boundaries between the drawer and housing and could also lead to unnecessary shaking and noise during transport.
Fourth, the integrally formed dividers which define the compartments are integrally formed with the drawer so that the dimensions of the compartments are permanently defined and cannot be altered to fit specific needs.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a storage organizer which has snugly fitted drawers which can be immobilized so as to avoid inadvertent opening, which includes a mechanism for avoiding the inadvertently pulling of the drawer completely from the housing, and which has removable dividers defining the compartments in the drawers.